can anyone please tell me when is the right time to harvest seeds of sago palms?
the ones i have access to have giant golden blooms filled with HUGE pink, pollen covered seeds inside of them.
i will also be grateful to have the variety of sago palm identified for me.
thanks in advance for any and all advce from experienced folks.
ATBTY ~ ~ £az£o
here's a closer view of the blossom
LazLo,
Here is a picture of a Sago Palm with it's seeds burs open from the Rawlings Conservatory here in Baltimore.
They are all SOOOO excited over this! Not a common occurrence!
Hope this helps! Gita
Here is a closer-up view of the inside of the split-open seed bloom. Sorry--it is a bit out of focus. But--you can make out the seeds--I hope!
Perhaps you could Google it for a better view? Or try the PF.
Gita
gita, do they have that one marked with genus and species at rawlings? i swear it looks more like a Dioon than a Cycas.
LazLo,
I know NOTHING about these--except that Sago Palms existed before the Dinosaurs! That they are extremely slow growing. That they only produce about 2 new fronds a year and that they like to be on the dry side. I know this as I have worked in Greenhouses a lot. But--I am NOT a horticulturist.
Here is the e-mail address to the Rawlings Conservatory Supervisor. She knows me--as I am a registered, but not active, volunteer there.
This palm is in their Palm House. Feel free to use my name as who referred you. They know me there.....all she has to do is go and look at the tag next to the palm--as everything there is tagged.
kate.blum@baltimorecity.gov
Gita
The pod originally opened itself up to be fertilized, then closed up.
Sometime in January-February it will open itself up again, then you can remove the orange coated seeds.
Put the seeds in a bucket of water; the ones that do not float are good; the floating ones did not germinate.
Valuable information Johnhatch. Thanks for sharing your knowledge.
Here are a couple of links regarding this topic.
http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/666571/
http://www.rhapisgardens.com/sagos/
Mine is in a large pot but I find it takes a good amount of water in our summer heat. I had also read that if it puts on one or two new fronds in a season, it is happy. Mine must be ecstatic with its' growing conditions. In the spring of 2007, it put on 15 new fronds and is close to that each spring. It is however an older plant. Perhaps that has some bearing on it. Sorry but I don't know which one I have. This photo shows all the new growth which I love the feel of...
Let's try that photo again only larger. I'm learning to save seeds and send photos on DG! LOL
Receivedl a Sago this last Spring from my aunt and uncles estate. Know nothing about how old it is, etc. It put on THREE rounds this summer. Was originally in a 5 gallon pot and we had it planted in the yard about a month ago. Hoping we have not stunted it's growth. hahaha
Christi
Try reposting on the Southwest Forum.
Hi £az£o, Yours look as the ones I have. they are Queen sago. The male counterpart is the King sago. http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/53716/
The seeds usually are about up to 1 1/2" and red. I tried the small ones with no results. The seeds should be ready in about three months. André
Thank you, André !
Hey, Gang,
Post this info on the Palms and Cycads forum. PalmBob can answer all you questions. He's turned me into a palmaholic. Last count in my yard was at 40 Sago palms.
Podster: TOTALLY SWEET GROWTH! What is that Sago planted in? What's your medium? I spent all Sunday afternoon repotting 25 puppies with the potting mix from my Fall cold crops. I'm considering whether to cut all the fronds this weekend, an let 'em start fresh. They through fronds for us between April and May each year. Sometimes twice a year. I, too, love the feel of the fresh fronds. And the large ones feel like leather!
Besides the veggie gardening I'm learning to do, growing and propagating Sago Palms is my other passion -- they're fascinating!
P.S. LASZLO be very careful harvesting those seeds. That pollen can give you a severe allergic reaction almost like hives. I reacted like I had laid fiberglass in the attic! A cutting, itching and raised red welts. Use some long sleeves and GLOVES before you reach in there. Otherwise, you'll be ok.
This message was edited Mar 10, 2009 12:55 PM
the asian cycad scale has all but killed out the sagos in florida. it's a very rare treat to see a healthy one anymore. when i left south florida some years back, those down there were pretty much wiped out. now it has spread to central florida and i fear will wipe the rest of them out farther north as well. it is such an insidious pest. i know of many people who've tried different methods of combating it, but so far no great strides in prevention......
Trackinsand ~ It is sad that this primitive cycad is being wiped out so easily. I think you had mentioned it in another thread and it made me do some reading on it. I will enjoy mine for now and hope a solution will be found.
Gymgirl ~ mine is in a common potting soil. I had thought about using a cactus soil but it doesn't seem to mind the moisture retention of the regular soil. Many in this area have them in ground but I never could decide where to plant it. So, I think the reason I see so much new growth each spring it due to it being root bound. (Mine only has new growth once a year in springtime.) As long as it works, I'm not going to fix it! LOL
Thanks to all for your advice . . . I've harvested today and will put the seeds to a float test mañana . . . some of these are really big - - like 2 to 2½ times the size of a good walnut
I have a King Sago that was attacked by asian scale. Home Depot told me to spray it with Orathene 3 or 4 years ago. It worked pretty good untill I read an article I will try to recreat here to the best of my memory. Very simple,use horticulture oil or volk oil( not fish oil) and mix with malathion,follow directions carefully. If heavily infected spray once a week making sure to wet top and bottem of fron and every crevice. I assume you will use a pump up sprayer. after about a month take a garden hose and wash off dead scale..99% of scale should come off. Repeat procedure again with a little more time bettween apps. If scale is sever some of the frons can be cut off before spraying. Asian Scale is airborne but is also stored in the soil. DRENCH THE SOIL TOO!!!! My sago is 25 yrs old and 10 ft high.One of the last around here.Palm Bay Fl.
Now wouldn't that just figure. Both my plants are males..
I'm hoping someone can tell me why my Sago is turning yellow. At first I was thinking more acid, so I fed 3 of my Sagos that were showing yellow with Miraclegrow for acid-loving plants. Is this stuff bad or hard on them? Because now they are REALLY turning yellow. A landscaper friend told me he thought they needed more water - a lot more water. But my feeling is that it is more likely to be too much water. After the yellow (and this Sago is planted in the ground) the leaves are now turning light brown from the tips inward. Any ideas anyone? Thanks!
